Fuel safety shutoff



Jan. 6, 1953 w. o. woLFoRD FUEL SAFETY sHUToFF Filed April 5, 1949 UA/.Umd O, 00u-020,

1NVEN1'0R.

f prro/QNEf/s Patented Jan. 6, 1975-3 AWilliam 4O. Wolfordlm Angeles, saliyassignor to ,Kelite ,121 .0,d;11,et s,y rlnc., `Los f-Angeles, 'Gaslif., iacorporatonof California fApplicatonAprl 5, 1949SeriaLNo.. 85,585

`.3 Qlaims.

My invention relates -to fuel .safety-:shutsoi apparatus, yand -has .particular rapplication under conditions in which -,it isdesired toY-shutvfol the oW-of,-gasor other fuel Iin ithe eventpf failureof a Water supply `to a boiler iired fby-such fuel.

line, and is automatically unlatched and closed should such vWater flow cease, `land `under lsuch conditions must be `manually -reset =for-=furtheroperation.

Second Ato f-provide 'an apparatus .of this class,

Which may be readily set tofunction at :any de sired Water flow rate.

Third, to 4provide a-n -apparatus of this class, which is not affected by VVWater pressure, but only by pressure differential due to Water flow.

:With the ,above vand other :objects :in '.view las may appear hereinafter, reference :is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view of my apparatus showing `the tWo valves involved, and the connecting means.

Fig. 2isa'sectionalvievv of theffuel valve show ing 'by fsolidilines -its latched @posi-tion, and 'by dotted "lines l'its -unlatched or closed position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the water valve showing by solid lines its operating position, and by dotted lines its position when flow ceases.

My fuel safety shut-off -apparatus involves a water valve A, a fuel valve B, and a connecting control cable C. The Water valve is connected to a boiler or the like, which is heated by burners, the fuel of which is supplied through the fuel valve B. 'Ihe purpose of my apparatus is to close the fuel valve and shut off the burners automatically in the event the water supply is shut oli.

The Water valve A includes a body I defining an inlet 2 and an outlet 3, communicating respectively with valve chambers 4 and 5. The valve chambers are disposed coaxially and are connected by a large port 6. The inlet valve chamber 4 is provided with an opening which is closed by a threaded plug 1. A smaller plug 8 is fitted in the corresponding wall of the outlet valve chamber 5.

A valve stem 9 is slidably mounted in a socket provided in the plug 8, and extends through the port 6 and through a bore provided in the plug l. Suitable sealing rings I are provided between the valve stem 9 and the plugs l and 8. The valve stem slidably receives a valve disk Il, which is limited in movement by spaced stop A2 rings 1 2 and :|13- A spring |24 fitted en the valve stem, bears vagainst stop ring i2 .and urges the valve disk 'toward st op ring I3. A second spring l5 surrounds the .valve st emdisl, and bearson the Wall of the outlet chamber surrounding the plus Y8 and against valve disk Il. ,A snap .ring I6 limits 'travel of the ,stem S .by engaging the plus '1 .so 'that v,um-ier yStatie .-eQnditiQns .the .valve disk Qeeupies a slightly enen .position at 'the .intakesideof the pori? as yindicated 'by broken lines. 1n the event of new .through .the valve. spring I5 iis compressed .a proportionate ,arneunt.. .causes the valve disk ,to eiieet threugh serine L4. .e similar movement. of .the .valve sternsiIIhe ,valve stemisfprovided with asrnellbere therethrough. which ,reeeives a thrust iwire .2l formingthe .core of .cable .,C- .The thrust Willell extends .entirely .threueh .the Naive .stem .enfiis secured by a .set screw 2'3 accessible lfrom `the eutside .O f .the valve, .thus provid-ing a means ef adjustment.- The thrust wire I2,! is .con-tained in a sheath 22 in the `fornrpf ya. solid tube, or .,a tuleejfermed hrelese `coiled wire. .A- setserewz secures the sheath ,22 ,in the plug 8. The cable .C extends .to .the .fuel .valve `B- The fuel valve B includes a valve body ,3| ,hav-

n inganinlet 3.2 .and ,aneutlet ,3.3. and valvecnamm bers -3.4 :and 35, asseeiated .respectively .with said lnletand'outlet. -The valve chambers are 'connected by a port 36 which is in alignment with an opening provided in the confronting wall of the inlet valve chamber 34. This opening receives a threaded plug 3l, having a bore which slidably receives a stem 3S aty the lower end of which is carried a valve head 3i! adapted to seat in the port 36. A spring 4t urges the valve head towards the closed portion shown by broken lines in Fig. 2.

A sealing ring 4I is provided between the plug 31 andvalve stem.

The valve stem is provided with an annular channel 42. This channel is adapted to be engaged by the thrust wire 2l which extends laterally through an appropriate opening provided in the threaded plug 31. This opening is counterbored to receive the corresponding end of the sheath 22, which is held in place by a set screw 25. The extremity of the thrust Wire forms a latch, designated 26, which iits in the channel 42 and retains the valve head in its upper or open position, shown by solid lines in Fig. 2. A handle 43 is provided at the outer end of the stem 38.

Operation of my fuel safety shut-off apparatus is as follows:

Under conditions of flow in the valve A, the

valve disk urges the valve stem 9 and the thrust wire ZI through spring I5, in a direction to eX- tend the latch end 26. Under this condition, the stem 38 of the fuel valve, may be raised until the latch 26 snaps into the channel 42, under urge of the spring I4. As long as flow continues in the Water valve A, the fuel valve B is open. Should the water supply be cut off, the thrust wire 2| is retracted under urge of the spring I5, releasing the stem 38 and permitting the fuel valve to close.

By reason of the fact that the valve disk is slightly open under static conditions, reverse flow may be had for drainage purposes. Furthermore, if desired, the valve disk may have a normally fully open position at the upstream or intake side to the right of the position shown. In such case, resetting of the valves requires .the additional manual operation of pushing the stem il until the valve disk is within its port.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fuel safety shut-off apparatus, involving: a fuel valve having Valve means for controlling flow through said fuel valve and yieldable means urging said valve means toward a closed position; latch means including a cable and a slidable latching element therein for restraining said valve means in' an open position; and a remotely positioned supply valve including a valve element movable in response to fluid flowing through said supply valve, a slidable valve stem in turn slidably mounting and guiding said valve element and having stops limiting movement of said valve element in opposite directions relative to said valve stem; a yieldable means urging said valve element against one of said stops in opposition to the direction of flow through said supply valve; said stem being connected with said slidable latching element to release for closure the valve means of said fuel valve when the flow rate past said valve element decreases a predetermined amount.

2. A fuel safety shut-off apparatus, involving:

a supply valve including a valve body having va-V flow passage therethrough, a slidable stem penetrating said flow passage, a valve element movable along said stem in response to ow through said passage, yieldable means connecting said valve element and stem to apply a force tending to effect corresponding movement of said stem; a cable including a slidably mounted element connected with said stem; and a fuel valve having valve means for controlling flow therethrough and having a means urging said valve means toward a closed position, said slidably mounted element latching said fuel valve means in an open position under predetermined conditions of flow in said supply valve.

3. A fuel safety shut-off apparatus, involving: a fuel valve having means for controlling flow therethrough and having yieldable means urging said fuel valve means toua closed position; latch means including a cable and slidably mounted element therein; and a supply valve including a valve body defining an inlet, an outlet and a port communicating therebetween; a valve stem extending through said port and protruding from said valve body and slidably supported thereby; a valve element slidably mounted on said valve stem and movable in said port; means urging said valve element into a position throttling said port and yieldable to uid flowing through said valve body to open said port, means connecting said valve stem with the slidably mounted means of said cable, and means on said stem engageable by said valve element on movement thereof to its port throttlingposition to slide said valve stem land release said latch.

, WILLIAM O. WOLFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 933,880 Brown Sept. 14, 1909 1,165,554 Sullivan Dec. 28, 1915 1,877,221 f Brown Sept. 13, 1932 2,012,873 Gillen Aug. 27, 1935 

